Batman #138 Review

With the fourth chapter in DC Comics' multiverse event Gotham War underway, it looks like the end is near for one of Batman's oldest enemies. The latest issue features a major confrontation between the immortal Red Hood and Batman, revealing how far the Dark Knight is willing to go to keep his allies safe.

While Chip Zdarsky's story has a lot going on, the conflict between Jason and Bruce isn't particularly compelling. It's a mess of baffling choices that are never explained and feel forced. It's as if Zdarsky got roped into telling a Gotham War story that he didn't want to do and ended up losing track of the plot.

It's not clear if the story is intended to show us how far the character of Jason Todd can be pushed when left unfettered, but if that was the goal then it works fairly well. The story's biggest strength is its depiction of the extreme measures that a power-hungry Batman will take to stop his allies. The most notable example is when he plants a hypnotic suggestion in the mind of the Red Hood that makes him overwhelmed with fear whenever his body generates adrenaline. The idea is that it will make him incapable of fighting without putting himself at risk.

The art is also solid, especially the rough-and-tumble action between the Robins. There is a real sense of danger that comes from the idea that all the Robins can actually hurt each other, and the way in which Jorge Jimenez draws it elevates the comic to a higher level. The twisted expressions of the characters also add to the drama and make the characters seem much more dangerous than they would otherwise.

There is also a lot of good stuff in the dialogue. It's hard to tell if this is because Zdarsky is focusing on the Batman138 of Zur-En-Arrh and is trying to integrate his character more into the story or if it's just because of the overall tone of the issue, but there's definitely a lot of intrigue in the way Ra's al Ghul's back-up personality influences what we see.

While there were a few hiccups in the story, Batman #138 is an excellent addition to the multiverse saga that proves there's a real power story hidden at its core. By combining pitch-perfect characterization with elevated action, this comic is a triumph of storytelling. The artwork of Jimenez and Tomeu Morey is a major selling point too, bringing the fights on the street to an epic scale that sells the high drama of this story.